Inking mechanism for duplicating machines



Oct. 23, 1945. A.E. soonwm HIKING MECHANISM FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 15, 1941 Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UN T D STATE s PAT ENT OFFICE WINKING MECHANISM FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES I Alfred E.,Goodwin, OttunrWa IoWa Application September 15, 1941, SerialN o. 410,816 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-120) quired in obtaining a uniform distribution of ink throughout the perforated portion of the stencil, and. the printed sheets frequently have heavy and light printing in places, instead of the desired uniformity. l

My object is to "provide an inking mechanism .ofsimple, durable 'andinexpensive construction in which a large supply of ink may be placed in the printing cylinder, thereby avoidingtlie'n'ecessity of frequently 'stopping work to add small quantities of ink.

I A further objectisto provide means for uni- .formly spreading ink upon the inner surface of the ink-retaining pad, which may be easily operated by a crank on the exterior of the machine, thus making it unnecessary for the operator to openthe cylinder for such purpose.

In the accompanying drawing:

, 1 Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a part of a duplicating machinehaving my improvement;

I Figure 2 shows an endview of the printing cylinderand ink reservoir, with thecylinder end removed; The printing cylinderis shown in section; I

I Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the printingcylinder and the ink spreading and wiping bladef I Figure 4 shows an enlarged sectionalview of the shaft projected from the cylinder, the crank attached thereto, and the adjustable ink spreading animal wool. This mat is contained between an outer layer of cloth l5, and a layer of flexible wire screen 16 is applied to the inner surface ofv the mat ll.

'I'he cylinder is provided at each end with a hollow bearing shaft l1, and. a crank i8 is de-. tachably secured to the crank by a set screw [9.

The lower portion of the cylinder is formed flat, as shown at 20 in Fig. 2, and the sides of the cylinder extend from said flattened portion to the per forations l2, also the ends of the cylinder, are made liquid tight, thereby forming an ink receptaole within the cylinder. When the cylinder is in its position at rest, as shown in Fig. 2, the ink is held in the space below the perforations l2, and when the cylinder is rotated, as when printing, some of the ink flows over a portion of the perforated portion of the cylinder and returns by of ink-retaining material, such for instance, as

gravity when the cylinder is resting.

For the purpose of evenly distributing ink throughout the entire area of the ink pad I have provided a shaft 2| having its ends extended throughthe hollow shaftmembers l'l, having at one end an angular extension 22 on which is formed an indicating notch 23. A crank 2ll is detachably fitted to said angular end, by which the shaft may be rotated and also moved longitudinally within its bearings. At the interior of the printing cylinder the ink distributing and smoothing blade is fixed to the shaft 2|. This blade has its body portion extended radially at 25 and its outer end portion is formed with a curved portion in the form of a half circle, 26, as shown in Fig. 3. The blade is made of thin, flexible material and yieldingly engages the screen I6. Its straight portion is braced by the brace 21 fixed to the blade and to the shaft. The length of the blade is substantially less than that of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5, sothat it may be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft to engage only selected areas of the screen 16. V v

An ink-sealing disc 240ml fibrous material surrounds the shaft 2| and is set into the enlarged inner end of the shaft ll.

The usual printing roller 28 is mounted below i the printing cylinder.

An ink filling opening is formed in the flat bottom portion, and a. screw plug 29 is seated therein.

In practical use I select an ink having a mineral oil-base and which does not congeal on the screen wire or wool mat. This is applied through the filling opening when the cylinder is in an inverted position, opposite from that shown in Fig. 2. When the cylinder is in normal position this ink will be retained within the bottom of the cylinder and does not reach the perforations [2.

When the ink is thus applied, then, and in order to freely and easily supply an equalized layer of ink to the entire printing surface of the outer cloth, first, the cylinder is rocked back and forth or rotated until the ink has impregnated the entire surface of the mat l4 and the cotton cover IS on the exterior of the cylinder. Then the cylinder is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the major portion of the ink returns by gravity to the receptacle at 20. Then the operator grasps the crank 24 and moves the blade backwards and forwardly, in yielding pressure with the entire inner: surface of the screen 16, and thereby applies a yielding pressure to the packing I4 to force ink into the mat M in a uniform manner and throughout the area of the perforated portion of the roller. i

For example, when the cylinder is moved from its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the ink flows through the screen l6 and upon the mat M which, being of fibrous material, causes the ink to be distributed throughout it by capillary the outer surface :of the cylinder. When this hasbeen done the duplicating .machine is operated in the ordinary manner. A large number of prints may be made before it necessary .to press more ink into the ink pad l4. Whenthis is necessary the operator simply revolves the cylinder for .a

few turns and then operates the ink distributing and smoothing blade for a few times. This process may be continued until all of the .ink contained in the cylinder has been used.

With my improvement ink need only :be supplied ,at long intervals, and :smooth and uniform printing ,is eifected.

.It is not always necessary to rock the cylinder back and 'forth to bring the ink into contact with the mat or fibrous material, since the :.cyl-.

inder is revolved .in an anti-clockwise direction in the course of operation which necessarily causes the ink to fiow from the reservoir over the frontend of the mat and is carried by capillary attraction plus the action of the roller on the (outside to the point where the blade prevents it from flowing on to the unused portion of the pad. This is continuous. The blade is used .to hasten the above action, toarrest the flow of ink, and to replenish and evenly distribute the ink when the rotation of the drum and the capillary attraction .fail .to supply the ink sufficiently. It is not necessary to always rotate the drum in addition to the rotation of its regular operation or even invert it to increase the ink on the router pad since the fibrous material (except when the reservoir has been allowed to become dry) always contains a quantity of ink and .it is only necessary to oscillate the yielding blade at the point where ink is needed, even though the cylinder be in such position'that the reservoir is at the bottom., The pressure of the yielding blade squeezes the fibrous material which retains a quantity of ink. The ink is thus forced to the outer surface pad when and Where needed.

When it is desired to print from a selected portion only of the printing cylinder, say for inst ance, one end portion extending tov near the central ":portion, then the blade 25 moved longiu' y to the selected portion and operated to force the ink into and through the selected portion of the perforated wall and inking cloth.

"The portions :of' the inking pad not operated upon Tloylthe blades will not have the ink forced through the perforated wall and into the inking cloth, and'when it is desired to print from the entire surface of the printing cylinder, the blade is movedover the entire interior of the cylinder for "forcing the ink from the retaining pad and through the perforated cylinder and the cloth 15.

Whenin use it is desirable to have the ink spreading blade in about-the position shown in Fig. 2, and this may be done by the operator by referring to the indicating -mark.2-3 which ispositioned atright angles to the blade.25.-

I claim as'my invention:

1.. In a duplicating machine, a rotatable inder for receiving and supporting a stencil over the-outer surfaceof a section thereof, said seotion being perforated, an ink-retaining well in said cylinder, with said perforated fsection constituting a wall for said well, an ink-retaining and absorb ins pad supported against the inner surface (of said perforated section to absorb ink from said well as said cylinder :is rotated, yieldable means within said-cylinder manually movable independently of said cylinder in pressing engagement over said pad to squeeze ink therefrom through selected portions .of said perforated section; and means supporting said yieldable means for ,pivotal movement and for movement axially of said cylinder.

In a duplicating machine, a rotatable cylinder having a perforated. peripheral portion adapted to support a stencilon its outer surface, an-ink well within said cylinder, said perforated portion constituting a wall for said ink well, :a compressible ink-retaining pad supported against the inner=surface of saidperipheral portion, with ink from said well being supplied to said pad as said cylinder is rotated, manually operated means rotatable within said cylinder and yieldably supported against :andmova'ble over the inner surface of said pad to compress the :pad and squeeze ink therefrom through .said perforated portion, said yieldable means being normally i-rotat'able with said cylinder .and positionable relative to said ink pad to prevent the passage of ink between the portions of the pad at, opposite sides of said yieldable means; 7

. ALFRED E. GOODWIN.

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